The civil war in Sri Lanka ended on May 19, 2009 with hundreds of thousands of people became refugees and destitute, most of these war victims are exclusively from the minority Tamil community residing the North and East Provinces of Sri Lanka. A closer look at life of people in the north will confirm there are many unresolved problems faced by the people in the war-ravaged north. True there are families who have picked up their lives after the war and are managing to make their life return to normal. These are people who were least affected by the war, have a job and or receiving help from their relatives living overseas. But many more families spread all over the two provinces for them life is yet to reach anywhere near normalcy even after seven no war years. Women and children are the most sufferers in the situation and many of the victims lost their primary income earner in their family, some lost limbs, and some became blind and need help to rebuild their lives. The war rendered over 40,000 of women as homeless, landless widows and several women are left to take care of their physically maimed husbands. These single women and the other women are forced to take care of their families without any income nor livelihood opportunities and with little help from the government, for the women that lost their husbands are paid Rs.100/- and many of them have to travel many kilometers to get it. There are more than 12,000 young widows from the age of 17 to 28, are put to the challenge of taking care of young children, safeguarding them and as they have no source of income they struggle for their survival, even some get cheated and sexually abused. There have been several instances women conceive prior to their marriage. There are about 18,000 children not knowing the whereabouts of their parents.
The Central Government and the Northern Provincial Council are busy attending to many issues of the people and welcome help from Sri Lankan living overseas to share the burden. There are already many organizations sharing the burden, but lot more needs to be done. A Northern Breeze follower has requested to disseminate the information about one such charity named NOW-WOW (New Opportunities for Wounded, Widows and Orphans of War), a registered charity helping war affected communities in Sri Lanka. NOW-WOW’s mission is to restore a semblance of normalcy to the war-ravaged Tamil communities in North and East of Sri Lanka; to provide aid for widows, widowers, and orphans among the Tamil community, who have lost their primary income earner in the war. Assistance is in the form of providing food security, public health measures, mental health assistance, infectious disease control, shelter, educational system needs, and job creation.
Detail of NOW-WOW Charity Newsletter – July 2016 is copied below for your information, if interested do visit the NOW-WOW website http://www.nowwow.org.
Subject: NOW-WOW Charity Newsletter – July 2016
Dear Donors, Friends and Well-wishers,
It is with great pleasure that we bring to you our next newsletter and the financial report for year 2015/2016 http://www.nowwow.org/ (Go to “Our Work” tab)
Our goal is to inform you the goings-on inside NOW-WOW as well as the manner in which your valuable donation is being put to use.
We are actively raising funds for our ongoing projects and we seek your philanthropic gesture in making our projects a success thereby ensuring restoration of normalcy and a semblance of family life to those living in the war-ravaged parts of North and East Sri Lanka. Details of this project can be found on our July 2016 Newsletter page-2.
No amount is too small for us…… it is your enthusiastic support that counts.
Your ideas and suggestions to improve this newsletter are welcome and appreciated. You can also leave your comments and feedbacks on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/nowwowcharity.
Thank You
NOW-WOW
Every Sri Lankan can join in to give the gift of hope by undertaking projects to restore, educate, sustain and augment the income-generating capacity of the war-ravaged families who had lost their primary breadwinner in the civil war of Sri Lanka. Please view the website of NOW-WOW based in Boston, U.S.A. for an up-date of the organization that undertakes projects for the rehabilitation of those affected by the civil war. You are most welcome to participate in many ways by helping this charitable act; by making a Donation – Your on-line or mail-in donation can provide a war affected individual or family with opportunity and hope to improve their lives. Volunteer your time and skills to charity organizations, who need help with fundraising, project planning, coordination and execution, project monitoring and following up with recipients on their progress, working with local partners, social media and communication, updating donors with status, etc. Become a mentor – There are lots of young Tamils who need your help. Money alone cannot be of help in certain cases. Help the ones suffering from post war syndrome and depression.
You `participation would help to rebuild the war ravaged country to prosperity for all Sri Lankan to share.
Northern Breeze 